World of My Eyes
by 1LuvDragonQueen
Summary: Maximus Ride: 18; Osprey Shifter; Leader of Seaside Shifters In this story, she is the newfound leader of a whole community of shifters. She discovers that she now holds a huge amout of responsibility, such as training youngsters, and defending her territory. In comes Fang: A loner, cast from his previous flock, an enemy in the eyes of the Seaside Shifters, and hoplessly in love.
1. Chapter 1

Maximus

Max watched the sun rise, praying for just about anything to happen so she didn't have to face her. She knew her duties were to her family, but let spring never come again if she actually cared for today's festivities. The last day of fall was revered by all shapeshifters as a day of love. Not that everyone believed in that stinky old myth anymore. Maximus Ride had gained the role of leader when the last leader, a hundred year old tortoise known as Terien, had passed away, and claimed Max as the next leader. This put a huge responsibility on her, and she knew that she certainly wasn't ready for a Mate yet.

A loud creaking snapped Max out of her daydreams as a small, white rabbit nosed open her small cabin door. "Good Morning Angel" the older, sleepy leader said. Her eyes sparkled with love for this young, orphaned rabbit shifter.

"Morning, Max!" Angel said as she shifted, her body losing almost all its hair and growing taller. Before Max could even blink, a small, blonde girl was staring right at her with reverence.

"I was wondering if you already knew who you want to pick as your mate… Not that you're obligated to tell me or anything." The shy young female looked up through her long lashes at Max. Despite being the shifter who had practically raised this small, orphaned girl, Max still couldn't figure out what Angel was thinking half the time.

"I don't really think so; no one seems to really stand out for me." Max sighed. The fact was, she didn't want to have some bossy mate controlling what she could do or say. Maximus Ride just wasn't the quiet type of girl that could be feminine. She was a true tomboy through and through. Nothing about any of the males in her village could ever strike her as anything but typical. Angel frowned, "Max, don't worry, somebody will come along someday and blow you off your feet."

Before Max could say anything, the hyper girl was already skipping out the door and saying" I can't wait until you have babies! I'm gonna have a sister!"

As the door banged behind her, Max ran her hand through her long, bronze hair. She knew that Angel was just trying to be nice, but that girl was always trying to suggest something to her. Max could take care of herself, as she proved by stretching and dressing in a button up shirt and some cargo shorts. Taking a deep breath, she walked outside to grab a bite to eat and start on her job.

* * *

Fang

The forest was alive with the sounds of numerous animals rustling about in the dense foliage, but one noise in particular stood out from the others. A white bird of prey was rolling and stomping around in a puddle of mud, the brown muck seeping through his feathers and tinting his color to an uglier color.

Fang hated the feeling that he got from mud in his plumage, but he had to camouflage himself if he wanted to catch prey. With one last push, he was covered in brown. Shaking his feathers free of the worst of it, he pulled himself into the air and started the hunt. A short while later, he had caught one mouse that was too slow to get away. His stomach growled for more, but he was too tired to keep hunting. Setting down on the ground, he shifted into a tall, dark-haired young man and walked to the stream that he had sighted during his flight.

The surrounding foliage was a beautiful array of colors, way different from where Fang was born. He had been born to a loving mother in the snowy mountain peaks deep within Mountain Flock territory. At first, he lived a carefree life, with his mother sheltering him from all harm. Within his fifth year though, he was summoned before the leader to begin his shifter training. Only the birds of the highest pedigree were trained by the leader, so naturally Fang's mother was proud, but she had been a worried wreck when they took him away.

Fang still remembered how everyone had stared when he shifted for the first time. He had been so excited to see what he looked like, but he had reigned in his feelings and stood at attention like it was no biggie. The leader had yelled, "DEMON! That boy is a DEMON!" and before Fang could truly understand his situation, every shifter was upon him. It was pure strength that got him out of there, but he wasn't without wounds. Yes, he was scarred both mentally and physically, with an inability to trust others, and the inability to turn his head without pain.

The cool water was refreshing, and Fang washed his face free of the disgusting brown gunk that remained from his hunt.

*SNAP*

Fang pivoted, his heart hammering in his chest, and a grimace upon his face as he prepared himself for the worst…

* * *

So as you see, I'm going to leave you in suspense for the first chapter. I promise that not all the chapters will be this short, this is only my intro chapter.

Please send your reviews! I need to know how you like this! Let me know what kind of action you'd like best... and ill see what i can do. ;)

ument here...


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, Guys! I'm so grateful for my supporters during my debut story. I hope you can all be a little patient with me, because my life is CRAZY right now, and I rarely find the chance to write more for this story. Don't get mad that I placed Iggy and Nudge as Mates. They are just soo cute together in my mind. I do understand that some of you may want to see into the other characters' minds, so every once in a while I'll slip in a little of that. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride… Sadly. :(**

* * *

Maximus Ride: 18; Osprey Shifter; Leader of Seaside Shifters

Fang Mark: 19; Albino Red Tailed Hawk; Rogue

Angel Flower: 5; White Rabbit; Seaside

Iggy Redfur: 16; Red fox; Seaside

Nudge Redfur: 16; darker fox; Seaside

The whole beach was alive with Seaside villagers setting up their banners, tents, and food vendors. Two foxes, both covered in fabric and each carrying a small basket of goodies, rushed by, almost knocking Max off her feet. She cursed under her breath as she regained her footing in the crowd. "Are you blind? Watch where you're going Iggy!" she growled after them.

The scarlet fox only harrumphed and continued on to a small wooden table labeled: 'Redfur's Treats! Get 'em while they're hot!'

Nudge, the smaller, lighter colored fox, paused and set her basket down. She ran back to Max, "I'm sorry about Iggy, Miss Ride! You know how he can be. I woke him up too early this morning and we went to sleep late last night." She winked, "I think it's about time you settled down. You're missing out on a lot. Maybe I can introduce you to some nice seabirds from over in the Southern Seaside village…"

Max shuddered, "No thanks, just keep an eye on your zombie husband. I don't want to hear any more complaints about him bumping into, and breaking things."

Nudge hung her head, "Will do, Miss Ride." The little fox started back towards her tent.

"And Nudge?" Max called. The shifter in question turned. "Please call me Max; I don't want my people to think of me as being above them."

Nudge smiled in her foxy way with her teeth bared and her eyes twinkling. Then she was off, back to her duties as Iggy's Mate and coworker.

With a quick peek at the list in her hand, Max set off to see how the main stage was coming along. On her way, she might find something to eat. Her mouth watered at the thought of all the treats that could be found in the festival already.

'Well I'll just have to be patient,' she thought to herself while rubbing her grumbling stomach. 'It doesn't make sense to rest before I've finished at least one of my duties.'

Angel

The little girl carefully walked along the small path leading up the cliff. Her mentor, a Sea Turtle named Matik (pronounced Ma-teek), had a lodge up on the very top of the cliff, a little to the left of the Brave Falls. They were called that because only the bravest kids jumped off of them. Matik never told anyone how old she really was, but Angel knew it had to be a big number, because no one in the whole collaboration of Seaside Villages knew when she was born. Angel was training under her as a village healer, mostly because she wanted to help people, but also because healers held a certain superiority over other shifters.

As she reached the top, a strange scent met her. It wasn't a familiar smell at all. While most of the shifters she'd grown up with had smelled like the sea, this scent reminded her of a distant memory. Something about it frightened her immensely, but instead of running away like her rabbit instincts were begging her to do, she quietly slipped into the tree line. If she remembered correctly, there was a secret side path here to the back of Matik's lodge. Angel's senses went haywire as fear crept into her whole body, and she came to an ivy- covered fence.

"M-matik, are you there?" Angel whispered towards the open windows of the tiny lodge. No answering call met her, and her heart thumped its way up into her throat. She surveyed the surrounding yard. Nothing was amiss, and a small percentage of confidence came back to her allowing her to take a few steps towards the building. As she came closer, she heard rustling coming from the other side of the house. With the last of her courage, Angel peeked around to the front of the house…

"Angel! Is that you? I need help, so get your butt over here." Matik snapped in her grumpy, elderly voice. "Get on the other side of this young man and let's get him in the house."

Angel gasped as she recognized the overwhelmingly dark scent wafting from a hunched over dark figure on Matik's shoulder. "Yes Mam." She answered swiftly, running over to support the man's bodyweight. He surprisingly was very light considering how tall he was. Still, it took a lot of effort to drag him inside and lay him on the guest cot in the corner. Matik got right down to business, immediately cutting off the remnants of a red shirt and some dark, muddy pants. Angel blushed and handed her mentor the cleaning supplies without looking.

"For goodness sakes girl, get your act together! He's still got his drawers on!" Matik grumbled as she wiped away some grime. "Oh dear, this is much worse than I had originally thought." She said haltingly.

Angel's curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked over at the man, gasping loudly when she saw the wounds. What once might have been a lightly tanned and toned chest was now redden and torn by multiple claw marks starting from one side and tearing clear across his body. Abrasions and bloody cuts littered the rest of his body. She looked down at the scraps of a shirt and realized that it was a light grey color originally; it had just become soaked with the man's blood. She halted.

Blood.

That's what the smell had been. That terrifying, dark scent came from the shirt and the washcloths. However it wasn't his blood that smelled of it. His blood, now that she had a clearer mind, smelled of just salt, and evergreens. Angel ran to the first aid cupboard and grabbed the needles, string, and bandages, as well as a whole bottle of pain reliever. Handing the supplies to Matik, she stepped back, wincing when she saw the man's body flinching with pain. "Uh, Matik, Is there another wounded person out there? Some of the blood smells different."

Matik, continued disinfecting and sewing the gaping wounds together. After a minute or two she answered. "It was a wild cougar, not a shifter. If this young man hadn't been there first, I would have been the one attacked while I was gathering water up the river." She bit the string. "I don't even understand how he could kill that beast so easily in his weakened form."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked even though she was already beginning to form the answer in her mind.

"I mean that he's incredibly malnourished, plus he looks as if he had a fight when he was younger, and some of those wounds definitely didn't heal right." The wizened old healer measured some of the pain reliever into a cup. "Angel, can you get him to drink this? I need to mix some medicines, and oh my! You'll have to take my place in the first-aid tent today. I know that this is a lot of responsibility for you, but I have to stay and monitor this guy."

Fang

Just about thirty minutes before, Fang had been cleaning off a bunch of mud. There had been a snap, and he had turned, crouching into an offensive stance only to see a surprised old woman staring at him. Relaxing, he had started to stand when a heavy weight suddenly pushed him forward onto the ground. His fighting instincts kicked into full gear, as he quickshifted to his bird size and back in order to get out of the assailant's grasp.

The huge wildcat had recovered from the jump, and was growling as it paced back and forth. With no warning, it charged at him, claws and fangs at the ready. Fang tried to dodge, but tripped backwards, and ended up on his back, using all his strength to keep the cat's claws and teeth from his face. Then he realized his mistake. While his hands and arms were busy, the wildcat started pumping its legs, clawing his stomach and tearing him wide open. The odds were definitely against him, when suddenly a huge turtle came bopping down on the cat's head.

Wait.

A turtle?

Fang had no time to question the strangeness of the miracle. The cat, which had jumped backwards off of Fang in its shock, was coming back with murder on its face. It hissed and spat before leaping once more at him. This time Fang was ready, and he ran to meet it half way. He caught the oncoming cat's neck in his hands, twisted with all his might … and just like that, the fight was over.

He couldn't remember much else, because the pain of his injuries made him collapse. There was a thumping in his head, and he watched as the world started to fade. A voice floated towards him, but it sounded as slow as molasses. His mother used to put molasses in his oatmeal at breakfast. No! He had to keep his mind alert, what was going on?

His mind went black.

Through the darkness, he occasionally could hear something. Maybe someone was trying to talk to him? He tried to open his eyes, but they wouldn't respond. Neither would his mouth, or the rest of his body, but Fang didn't have time to panic, because the world around him faded back and he became entrapped in deep sleep.

* * *

** So that's it for now, I have to study for midterms next week. Ugh! I'd much rather sit here in front of the computer and type up another chapter, but you all know how it is. Grades before personal satisfaction… or was it something else? Anyways I can't wait for next weekend, because I'm gonna send another chapter your way and BLOW YOUR MINDS. **

**Please leave your reviews! They make me happy, and I feel more inspired when I know I have fans who actually want to know what happens next. **

**Love yah!**

**-1LuvDragonQueen**


	3. Chapter 3

So here I am again, I just finished my midterms, barely had time to release a new chapter,and now I'm stoked for some down time. Only problem is, my parents are pushing me to get a job. So now I'm trying to find a job that won't mind hiring first time workers. I only just graduated high school, and everyone expects me to tear myself away from my writing, and painting to face the real world. Whatever.

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride... I just fantasize about being her.

Anyways, next chapter brings Fang and Max face-to-face. What will happen? I don't know. But definitely something good… *Laughing evily*

Please enjoy!

* * *

Maximus

She had done what had seemed like a gazillion things on her to-do list, but she still had to check in on the safety stations. First Max walked over to the village guard tent to check and see that everyone was set, and that safety precautions were being made. When everything there seemed fine, she headed back out to find the first aid station, which, according to the directions scrawled on her list, was a little way past the food vendors. On her way, she smelled something awful, and she stopped in her tracks. That smell could only result from one person in the whole collaboration of Seaside villages.

Max searched the crowded stalls for him, knowing that he would have a huge bubble of empty space around him due to his smell. Groaning came from her right, and she veered toward it, stopping five feet away from a pie eating contest. "Gazzy Stripe, I knew I would find you here!"

A young boy with overalls and all shades of pie smeared all over his face looked up at her. "Oh, hi Max. How are you? I haven't seen you in one, two, three…" He counted his sticky fingers and suddenly burped loudly, causing the other contestants to gag and swoon. "Gee, I don't seem to be able to r'member, Anyways, can you help me up? I seem to have bloated a little." Gazzy reached his little arms up and burped again to prove his point.

Max stood there with her hand covering her face the whole time, swearing quietly underneath her breath. Then she helped pull him up, gritting her teeth against the weight he seemed to have put on. "Wholly mother of cows, how many pies did you eat, Gazzy?" She groaned under the pressure. The shifter started to speak, but then he let off a massive gas bomb, and giggled like a maniac.

"Never mind," Max said. "Let's just get you out of here before you gas out the whole festival." She apologized to the shifters in charge of the contest, and held his hand so that he wouldn't stray towards the food venders again as they made their way towards the first aid tent. To Max's surprise, the only person on duty was Angel.

"Hey Angel, where is Matik?" Max inquired, while setting the skunk boy down on a cot. "I need her to plug up Gazzy so he'll stop leaking noxious fart gas."

Angel winced, "You know Max, you really ought to try talking more like a lady. It's no wonder you're having such a hard time finding a mate."

Max smiled inwardly; she loved getting on the little girl's nerves. Angel could make the cutest expression of annoyance ever. "Did you just avoid my question?"

The small rabbit shifter turned defensively. "Do you think that I can't handle being in charge of the first aid tent this year?" She pouted, "Matik put me in charge on purpose, because she believes in my ability!"

Maximus backed up, with her hands up in front of her. "Whoa! You know that's not what I meant Angel. I was just wondering where Matik is. There's no way that I would doubt you."

"Well Matik is busy right now, so you just have to be okay with me." Angel said, crossing her arms and grabbing a bottle of purplish goopy fluid. She quickly turned toward Gazzy, so as to keep from giving anything else away. "Here Gazzy, I sort of knew that you would get yourself into this state again, so I made you some medicine for your tummy."

Max narrowed her eyes. Matik had been planning for months to attend this festival, because she rarely trusted anyone with any of her larger tasks. "Where is Matik, Angel?" She growled. "What's so much more important than her post here at the festival?"

Angel flinched, knowing all too well that she had messed up. "She told me not to tell you, though." She mumbled quietly, with her back turned toward her leader.

Maximus Ride inhaled a boatload of air, attempting to keep calm. She grabbed the smaller shifter's shoulder and twisted her around, bringing Angel's face close to her own. "I will ask only one more time, as your Leader and as your caretaker. Where is she?" She said through clenched teeth.

Within minutes, she had stormed through the street towards the cliffs. The crowd nervously parted around her sensing the rage rolling off of a seasoned warrior shifter. No one wanted to mess with the famous Maximus Ride, top ranking warrior, and now Leader of the Seaside Shifters. She quickly shifted and spread her sleek black and white wings. With barely any effort, she leapt into the air and soared. The wind seemed to be backing Max, as she flew in a fury towards the old lodge nestled in the woods. Without so much as pausing, the young leader landed and shifted simultaneously, ending up on the doorstep. When she found the door locked, Max banged on it, yelling: "Matik, I know you're in there! Open this door right now or I'll bust it down!"

There was a rustling sound and the lock clicked. Max pushed her way in immediately surveying the room. Her eyes fell on the pale figure resting in a recently placed cot. The sharp smell of blood wafted throughout the room, just barely covering the scent that she hated most. She turned slowly, keeping her face as neutral as she could. "Matik, do you smell the scent of the snowy mountains in here?" She asked, glaring at the old healer.

Matik simply smiled. "Of course I do, my nose is just as perceptive as your own, despite my old age. Please keep it down, our guest is resting."

Max became enraged. "You want me to keep it down?! That man over there is of Mountain Shifter blood, and you just let him in here!"

The wizened old woman sighed." You need to open your eyes. This young man is wounded badly. He obviously doesn't have any others with him, so he's not a threat."

"No way, he is not staying here. You need to wake him up and send him away now! How am I supposed to keep our Villages safe from the enemy shifters if you let one stay here just outside our main town?" Max stomped her foot down in anger, trying to wake the man. He didn't stir.

Matik stepped between them, shielding the strange wounded shifter. "Maximus listen, I owe him my life. A wild cougar attacked, and almost killed him. If he hadn't been there, by the stream, I would have been the one targeted by the cougar."

Max's eyes widened in shock, "There was a wild cougar here?" She started to turn towards the door. "I need to get some warriors up here to exterminate it then!" She stopped as she noticed the old healer shaking her head with a smile.

"There's no need. The young man finished it off before fainting."

Max's stare moved slowly to the huddled form on the cot, trying to judge the strength it would take to complete such a feat. She turned and walked out, headed toward the river. What she saw there caused her mind to reach a blank. There was no way a single shifter could beat off such a large wild cat, yet here was the proof. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she lifted her eyes from the body.

"Fine, he can stay."

Matik nodded solemnly. " Thank you."

* * *

Like I said, GOOD STUFF IS COMING! So hold on to your hats, cause this is gonna be a heck of a ride. It's the Maximum Ride *Get it? I'm so dorky*

Please leave your reviews on how you would like Max and Fang to react when they meet! I will probably pop in some twists though, so keep following me!

I Love you all!

-1LuvDragonQueen


	4. Chapter 4

** Hello again! I'm apologizing in advance for rushing through this chapter. I had to push this out last minute because the Word file I have this story saved on is only on the family computer, and everyone kept hogging it. Whatever; I hope you like the cat and dog-like fights these two lovebirds get into throughout the story. Who doesn't like a little drama? Eh? Eh? **

** Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or any of the books characters. I just really really like the books!**

Maximus Ride: 18; Osprey Shifter; Leader of Seaside Shifters

Fang Mark: 19; Albino Red Tailed Hawk; Rogue

Angel Flower: 5; White Rabbit; Seaside

Iggy Redfur: 16; Red fox; Seaside

Nudge Redfur: 16; darker fox; Seaside

Gazzy Stripe: 9; Skunk; Seaside

* * *

Fang

Piercing pain.

In this strange dark world, all his other senses were blinded, leaving him defenseless and unable to move for fear of the unknown. Unknown place, unknown time, heck, Fang couldn't even figure out why he was here. It felt like he had been here, in this black dimension of horror, for months. All he could feel was that pain. A pain that was unlike any other he had ever felt, or could ever have even imagined. Throbbing with heat and gripping his chest like some bloodthirsty, snake-like monster consisting entirely of lava had made him its prey. There were even smaller stings on Fang's face, as though some of the monster's venomous lava had splashed on it, and had started to eat away at his face. No matter how hard he struggled or how loud he screamed, he could neither break free, nor summon help from anyone. He was alone…

Fang jerked awake, his heart beating furiously as he struggled to remember where he was. _It was a dream…_ He thought, marveling at how realistic it had seemed. Within moments it all rushed back. He had almost been killed in a fight to the death with a wild cougar. A kind old lady by the name of Matik had brought him back to her place and pieced him back together. About a week and a half later he had finally gained consciousness, and all the details had been explained to him. How he would bear scars from the attack, even after it had fully healed, which wouldn't be until a month or two had passed. Matik had warned him against going down the cliff, because apparently the leader of the Seaside shifters held a grudge against his kind. It sort of offended him that the fact that he used to be a Mountain shifter made him a bad guy. Due to the circumstances though, Fang felt he owed it to Matik to heed her rule.

According to the old woman, the Seaside Leader knew he was here, but Fang hadn't seen hide or hair of this supposed fearsome Leader. The days were becoming colder, and he was starting to get really bored when Matik said he could finally walk around. That's when his walks began. Starting at sunrise, he would pull himself out of bed and prepare a light breakfast for Matik, who was usually still sleeping. Then he would start out into the frosty morning air and make his way to the waterfalls, where he would watch the bustling village below him. No other village he had ever been at, or seen had ever looked so peaceful. Shifters, old and young alike, would start appearing in town at around the same time as he started watching them. Children would run to the little school house on the boardwalk, giggling obnoxiously and chattering on and on about stupid stuff.

This particular morning, about three weeks since he had awoken, he was becoming more annoyed than usual at this behavior. Didn't they know any discipline? Where were their parents, and why weren't they being punished for being so rambunctious? Fang remembered that his first lesson of discipline had come at age four, when he had tried playing hide and seek with the other children his age. Children weren't supposed to be heard unless asked by an adult to say something of importance. In fact, they should be respectful in all ways, as well as strictly supervised, and kept in line by an adult. He grumbled and shifted his gaze to a young couple. The young woman giggled at something her mate had said before turning to tend to her gardening. Her mate, not done with her yet, bent over and hugged her from behind, tenderly kissing her neck while wrapping his arms around her somewhat swollen waist. Why were they acting like that in public? Women should stay indoors, especially mothers. Fang blushed and looked for something else to watch. Certainly there was some sense of normalcy in this village, right?

It was in that moment that Fang saw her.

His heart stopped as she strolled through the village center, purposefully making her way towards some unknown objective. Fang changed his eyes, so as to use his raptor vision to zoom in. Her hair glimmered in the sunlight with strands of gold among her brunette ponytail. She was slim, as far as he could see from this far away, and her hips swayed with a rhythm that entranced him. More than her form, he was impressed by her choice of clothing. No skirts, or ruffled dress draped across her frame. Instead, a tan long sleeved shirt, and loose shorts were all but falling off her body, showing a pair of sapphire blue straps that sent a slight shiver down his spine. The only thing truly holding on her attire was a dark leather chest plate wrapping under her arms and tying at the back. She obviously wore it to hold in her… Fang had to stop that train of thought. It would be dangerous to think of settling down, especially when every shifter betrayed their friends eventually. He would not be one of those fools who thought they were in love, and tied themselves down. Love didn't exist, At least not for him. Fang had learned long ago that trusting no one was his only chance for survival.

He looked back at the girl and gasped. She was headed this way!

Maximus

She was in a fair mood. When Max had woken up, Angel had been there to greet her, with a huge platter of warm blueberry pancakes. That had brightened her up immediately, and she was convinced that nothing could bring her down. She made her way into town, waving to the occasional villager who was up this early. Children were screaming and giggling in the distance, hopefully on their way to school. Max smiled. There was nothing better than the sound of her village children playing peacefully on a sunny day. It banished all memories of the bloody battles and screams of terror war between territories brought, if only for a moment. Maybe Max would've been a different person if she had grown up in times of peace. No, she wouldn't think of that. Today was supposed to be a good day for her, and nothing should get in the way. Maximus pasted a smile back onto her face as she made up her mind about what to do. '_Let's pay the stranger a visit…_' she thought to herself. '_This ought to be fun._'

Changing directions, she mentally patted herself on the back for leaving her sword at home today. No doubt it was smarter to keep all possible weapons out of reach of the rogue shifter. Mountain shifters were dangerous, and bloodthirsty; and Rogues were mostly selfish and self-conceited, so it was only smart to assume that this one was worth being cautious around. Max had seen years' worth of what both rogues, and Mountain Shifters where capable of, and she wasn't about to fall prey to any tricks this guy might have up his sleeves. Taking a deep breath, she shifted into her bird form, allowing herself to relish in the sweet joy of flying again. She didn't have time to fly whenever she felt like it any more, due to her new duties as a Leader. She briefly allowed the wind to pull her, and then with a hesitant and somewhat sad chirp, she gave way to the work at hand and veered toward the top of the falls.

With little more than a few flaps of her strong white and black wings, Max brought herself to a sudden mid-air halt, as she spotted the rogue man staring at her while lounging on a rocky ledge in the middle of the falls. With a furious screech, she set down a few feet from him and shifted instantly.

"Were you staring at me this whole time?" She demanded angrily.

The man shrugged, wincing a little when he stretched his wounds. "I guess I was, since it was pretty hard not to notice you. Do all of you seabirds make such dramatic entrances?"

Max felt her face grow red, "I was not making a dramatic entrance!" She sputtered. "And just who do you think you are anyways?"

"I'm merely a wanderer, my name isn't important." He said, sitting up and pulling up one leg to lean his arm on. "What I'm wondering though, is who the heck you think you are?"

She took a deep breath and assumed her fiercest face. "Just so you know, I happen to be Maximus Ride, Leader of the Seaside Shifters, and the only reason why you've been allowed to stay on our territory for so long. Don't get cocky with me or I'll rip your throat out." She paused only to cross her arms over her chest. "Now what did you say your name was?" She sneered.

The man looked shocked and completely taken aback by her proclamation. "You can call me Fang… Excuse me, but why is a girl the Leader? Don't you have to be male to assume the spot?"

With only that, her fuse ended. "Look here Fang," Max growled, closing the distance between them and gripping the collar of his shirt; pulling him to his feet. "You already have me on the verge of skinning you alive. I don't want to cross that line, but as you see, I have a very short temper. If you ever try to say our ways are wrong compared to your own BARBARIC homeland again, I will declare war on you, and lo' behold, hunting season will open up on you!" She pushed him away, taking deep breaths to calm her emotions. She didn't even see the punch coming. With a whack, her eyesight faded out and back in, and pain exploded in her chin. She should have known.

But what she didn't expect was the sliver of a tear running down the rogue's face, his unusually pale skin now blushing red as he breathed hard. "My mother and I are not barbarians! Our homeland never was, and never will be barbaric! We were only dragged into this because of the Elite Squadron! In fact, I don't think most ANY of the Mountain shifters wanted to be your enemies! It's only the greedy King and his court officials who want your land and people for his own!" Fang suddenly got quiet. "The reasons I ran away, are because of the evil that grows there and because they are all racist, greedy, superstitious gluttons… They… They tried to kill me." He collapsed, in a heap and stared out at the ocean, not a single trace of emotion left on his face.

She was at a loss for words. All of her anger had faded away while she was listening to him, and now, after his outrageously fast burst of temper, she found it hard to stay mad at him. Of course she wouldn't just believe him on the spot without proof, but somehow, somewhere deep inside her heart she felt a sense of remorse for him. Max was never great at socializing, so she had no clue what to do or say now. Luckily, the rogue fixed that problem for her.

"Sorry I hit you." Fang said so quietly it could have been the wind.

She answered slowly. "It's no problem, we're cool. Sides, I like your guts. Most other guys my age just stumble over their words around me and make stupid mistakes when I pass by."

Fang smirked." Hey, I normally would never hit any girl for any reason at all. I was raised that way, but your words just hurt really bad…" His voice drifted off as he spotted something in the distance that I couldn't see. He stood up. "I have to go. Matik will be wondering where I am, and I have some chores to complete before making her lunch. " He turned, but then glanced back at Max. "Do you maybe want to join us?"

Max choked back a laugh. "You can cook?"

Fang frowned, "Yeah, can't you?"

Just like that she shut up.

* * *

**So, I know that that was a little fast, but like I said: IT WAS RUSHED. Advice to my readers: don't procrastinate. **

**Please leave reviews! I find them encouraging and insightful. If you have an idea for the story, I might just add it in.**

**Love ya!**

**-1luvdragonqueen**


	5. Chapter 5

** I'm sooo sorry! Things kinda got chaotic around my house, and I got sick enough that I didn't eat anything all weekend. And when I woke from my weird sick person sleep, I had a huge to-do list piling up. Maybe you can, or maybe you can't understand, but I'm back! And I have a treat for you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or the characters.**

**Maximus Ride: 18; Osprey Shifter; Leader of Seaside Shifters**

**Fang Mark: 19; Albino Red Tailed Hawk; Rogue**

**Angel Flower: 5; White Rabbit; Seaside **

**Iggy Redfur: 16; Red fox; Seaside**

**Nudge Redfur: 16; darker fox; Seaside **

**Gazzy Stripe: 9; Skunk; Seaside**

* * *

** Fang**

Things were getting pretty awkward. First, the hot girl that Fang had been checking out turned out to be the Seaside Leader. Then, when he had asked a seemingly innocent enough question, she had insulted his homeland, which instantly felt like a stab in the heart. Without thinking, Fang had allowed his emotions to show themselves for the first time since he had been run out of home, and had punched her. Why the heck had he punched her? He felt so bad for hitting her, that he had offered an explanation, if there even was a worthy explanation for his actions. Now here he was, frying up some fish he'd caught the day before and saved. While that was simmering, Fang chopped up a head of lettuce, cleaned the leaves, and tossed them into a crisp salad.

Self-consciousness grew on his face and he held it down with some quiet breathing exercises. "I don't suppose it's really very normal for men in your village to do the cooking, judging by your surprise earlier." He said, without turning.

A choking cough grew behind him, and he turned just in time to see Max compose herself. "Well, actually it isn't unusual for men to also partake in cooking a meal here. I just assumed that a person from such a place as your own homeland would expect a woman to cook for him." The hints of a blush were starting at the corners of her cheeks.

Fang chuckled, "Well actually you are correct. Back where I'm from, the women do all the cooking for the men. It's just that I've been on my own for so long that I had to learn to cook, or risk eating raw meat in my bird form."

He saw Maximus mulling the new information in her head, and he turned back to his cooking. The fish was nicely done, and an enticing aroma was wafting from the pan. Fang scooped the fish onto three plates, and added salad, then he set them on the table. "Help yourself, "he said to Max, motioning with his hands. After she started to dig in, he walked to the front door. "Matik, lunch time!" He called. When no one answered, he started to grumble. "Where could that old coot have gone to?"

"I'm right here, boy! Where's my food?" Matik's voice came from the back door as she swung it wide open, startling Max.

Fang remained unfazed, even though deep inside he smirked at the Leader's reaction. "Right in front of you," he said, sighing heavily as he made his way over to the small table and lifted his plate to eat against the wall. He wanted the ladies to have a little more room, and he wanted to have a better view of this Maximus Ride. Taking a bite, he traced her features with his eyes, reveling in her unique, hardened beauty.

Maximus

This had to be the first time she had ever blushed at something a guy said. This Fang character was turning out to be more complex than ever, yet he obviously wasn't a bad person like the rest of his clan. Max couldn't understand why this male was so intriguing, and that startled her. More important than that, every time he looked at her, she could feel his eyes sweeping her body. Usually this kind of behavior from a male would piss her off, but strangely, she only felt hot, like she had to escape the room. As she ate her meal, she made a mental note that Fang was a great chef, even with no real spices besides some salt and pepper. When she had finished her salad, Max stood and stretched, trying to hide the itching anxiety that Fang's stare was creating within her.

"Well that was certainly delicious. I'm definitely going to have you cook for me again!" She headed to the door, her heart skipping a beat when she looked back and met Fang's dark eyes. "Bye!" was all she said as she sprinted out of the cabin like a skittish filly. In less than five seconds she had leapt into the air and shifted, spreading her white and brown wings to carry herself into the wind. Yes, this was better. The soothing wind caressed her body, wiping away all of Max's anxiety in a millisecond. With a couple strong wing movements, she had maneuvered herself into a stream of air that carried her higher and higher, towards the blinding sun.

Fang

He stared out the door, as if she would still be there. The intense gaze they had shred had set his heart on a rampage as he struggled to hold his ground. She certainly didn't need him to bother her by following along right?

Fang's thoughts were interrupted by a grumpy, and yet amused voice. "Well?" Matik growled in her gravelly voice. "Aren't you going after her? It's not like I need a babysitter here to watch me." A twinkle glittered in the corners of her brown eyes, and suddenly Fang knew that Matik was giving him permission to pursue Max. With his mind made up, he ran out and shifted, his wings sprouting and beating the air beneath him.

Maximus

There was nothing at first to bother her. Max had been drifting for a good five minutes before she realized she was being followed. Without turning, she could barely see a white bird far below and behind her. Whoever it was would have a hard time catching up, but Max wasn't taking chances. In one swift move, she dived down, pulling her wings in tight. The other bird followed, with a graceful swooping motion. Screeching in annoyance, Max pulled her wings back out as she passed the canopy and began to sharply navigate the dense forest as fast as was safe. A quick peek over her shoulder revealed that the white bird was still tailing her, even doing better than her among the huge trees.

_Time for a change of tactic_, she thought, while starting to twist around. If this person was so skilled in agility, then they must have sacrificed in another basic skill. _Let's try speed;_ she pulled up above the canopy again. _Bring it on, tough guy!_

With one huge intake of breath, Max extended her brownish wings to their fullest length, a stunning six feet across. Using all of her effort, she executed a few hard strokes, and pulled herself faster and faster through the sky. Not even a second later, she heard two nostalgic screams. The screams of an eagle, and a hawk. She didn't slow down though, because she was already passing thirty-five miles per hour, and this was her best bet on losing the hawk that stalked her. Over the edge of the forest she could hear the waves crashing and smell the salty water of the ocean. If she could make it that far, then she could summon help from the village. If her ears had heard right, then the birds trailing her were forest birds probably sent by the Mountain shifters to assassinate her.

In less than a flash, a speeding weight hit her from above. The air was knocked out of her, as she tried to right herself and escape her attacker. Max was losing altitude fast, but she twisted to the right as she fell, and crash landed in a hard, cold cave. She shifted, wheezing, as she turned in the small space to find Fang blocking the only entrance.

"Fang?" Max asked incredulously, "Why the he.." her voice was cut off as he covered her mouth and glared at her.

"Shhhh!" he shushed, motioning outside towards a huge eagle that was swooping around, looking for them. Fang leaned back against the wall carefully, and after staring out at what she assumed was the eagle (Max couldn't see very well past his large frame), he looked back at her.

His jet black eyes didn't move, as he slowly lifted his hand and reached out as if to touch Max's face. Her heart stopped, and rebooted into hyper drive, as she felt herself blushing. This made her embarrassed, and she tried to look away and hide her face, but there was no room in the cave. She panicked; what was going on? "Max…" Fang's voice drifted to her through her jumbled wreck of a mind.

"Max, I… you're very beautiful." He gripped Max's chin and gazed into her eyes as if searching for something there. His breath was hot on her lips as he leaned closer and closer… and finally closing his eyes and kissing her.

Her heart raced and she couldn't help but shut her own eyes as his other arm came to wrap around her waist. Butterflies flitted around in her stomach, and Max somehow knew that things would never be the same again. All too soon, the moment was over, and Fang pulled back to gaze into her eyes once more. "Wow." Was all he said, as he let go of her, and she could finally see his complete face again. His dark hair was tousled, and his eyes were wide with astonishing reddish coloring spreading over the tops of his thin cheeks. They were both breathing heavily, and Max ran her hand through her hair, getting more self-conscious by the second. Unable to form a truly coherent thought, she nodded dazedly.

"I think he's gone." Fang said after peeking quickly outside.

Max grew bold, grabbing his arm as he was leaving, and pulling him back in. "We don't know for sure that he's not still out there waiting for us!" She said hastily, hoping that he'd buy it.

His eyes grew large at her bold statement, and then his expression turned sneaky. "So what do you suppose we do?" he asked her, leaning back in.

She took another breath to calm her nerves. "Let's keep each other company…" Max implied while Fang loomed ever closer. Then, his mouth was on hers, stronger than before and slightly needy. Her response was to fight back, gripping his broad shoulders and pulling her body as close as possible to him.

They stayed there until the next morning.

* * *

**Didn't I say that there was gonna be some goodies for you? I hope this made you happy, cause it sure made me happy and fuzzy inside to write. Im working on another idea for a fanfiction right now, so Ill tell you later if I decide to do it. **

**Please Leave Reviews! ILove Reviews! And they can be helpful as well.**

**-1luvdragonqueen**


	6. Chapter 6

**I was really conflicted on which route this story should take. I had three and a half scenarios in my head that would all have pulled gasps from you, my readers. In the end this was the most plausible and original twist I could think of. Ironically it's the half scenario. This means I might take even more time trying to figure out what comes next. Maybe I'll ask for your help. ;)**

**Maximus Ride: 18; Osprey Shifter; Leader of Seaside Shifters**

**Fang Mark: 19; Albino Red Tailed Hawk; Rogue**

**Angel Flower: 5; White Rabbit; Seaside **

**Iggy Redfur: 16; Red fox; Seaside**

**Nudge Redfur: 16; darker fox; Seaside **

**Gazzy Stripe: 9; Skunk; Seaside**

* * *

Fang

Fang stroked the warm hair of his new mate, smiling as she shifted her weight against him. The previous night had passed slowly, as if the world had decided to stop for hours on end before resuming and bringing forth the dawn. Whatever warrior it was that had tried to attack Max before had disappeared a long time ago, but she had insisted on staying together with him all night. It had made Fang's heart race at first, but he quickly realized that Max wasn't ready to pass the kissing stage. They had made out some more; their bodies heating up the small space almost immediately. Then Max had looked into his eyes, and he knew. He knew, and he could see she knew as well that they were meant to be mates. What was originally a small ache in his heart, had grown into a warm, jealous, and extremely protective feeling.

It was confusing to him.

Nobody had ever truly been able to explain how mates knew who was their destined, and sometimes mates had grown up seeing each other every day and not known what they meant to each other. A mate was like your other half. The part of you that you didn't know you were missing until it was time. Eyes would meet and *click*, everything would become clear. What you feel, what your partner feels, and the bond that holds you together. It had happened for them, but what should have been a joyous moment was shrouded in fear.

_EARLIER THAT NIGHT:_

"Why. Why were you born a Mountain shifter? Any other clan would have been fine, but you came from our worst enemies…" Max sighed. "It's not fair."

Fang looked down at the woman in curled in his lap, who was playing with his hand. "I know, Max. I know." He gently pushed the hand she was holding toward her face, cupping her strong, tanned cheek. "No matter what though, I will love you and protect you to the ends of the earth and farther if I have to." He planted a light kiss on her lips.

The rest of the night was spent by questions and answers traded between the two. First Max revealed that her real parents had been murdered by Mountain shifters when she was only four. Fang told his whole life story to Max, not sparing the pain he endured on his last day as a Mountain shifter. He even told her his two biggest secrets, which didn't make her feel any better. She had gasped when he had shifted to show his Albino self, which had made him feel ashamed at first until she had whispered how beautiful he was. Instantly, his whole perspective was different. No one had ever told him he was beautiful in his bird form. Mostly he was called an anomaly or a demon bird sent from hell to curse people.

His other secret had made Max become silent for the rest of the night. He had to bite his tongue to keep from asking her what she was thinking. It should have been easy to understand that anyone else would have killed him as soon as he told them. With one sentence, her eyes had become unfocused, her thoughts hidden from view but obviously racing. After a while, she had slowly curled into his lap and laid there for the remainder of the night. Sometimes she would drift off, but then she would wake with a jolt, and sometimes a small scream. Fang would comfort her and whisper soft words to her until she relaxed, and then the cycle would repeat. He could only imagine what had her so worked up.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Maximus

Max was picking flowers in a field. Why she, the biggest tomboy in town, was committing this girlish act she had no idea. Yet she continued, only stopping when a gentle voice called to her from behind. At the sound, her heartbeat picked up, and a fluttering feeling overcame her. With all the happiness and love tugging at her heart, she twirled around.

"Fang!" She called, dropping her flowers and running to him. A big smile was spread across his face, as he stepped out of the shadows of the forest. He had huge white wings on his back, and Max gasped in admiration. "How did you do that?"She asked incredulously. Fang simply gave her a smirk with twinkling eyes, and pointed at her shoulder. She looked, and there were the most beautiful pair of white and blackish brown feathered wings on her own back. Max spread them, marveling in their graceful appearance.

Just then, a rustling sound made Fang and Max turn. A troop of silver plated warriors marched out of the dark forest, seemingly bringing a fog with them. The tallest and most ornately decorated man ordered his men to seize the two lovers, and suddenly Fang was frantic and snarling at them to not make another step forward. He turned toward Max, shouting for her to run. She tried to shift, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't do it, so she pivoted and sprinted full force toward the village. She knew she could easily rally help, but just then, she glanced back and saw her world crumble. The warriors had captured Fang and dragged him to the Leader.

"How nice to see you again, _son_." He sneered, unsheathing his sword. Fang looked behind himself at Max and started to say something to her, but he was unable to form the words as his father, the Leader of the Mountain shifters, stabbed him. A gurgling sound came from his throat as blood dripped from his mouth, and then Fang slumped over. Max screamed.

Shooting up, she found herself back in the cave in Fang's warm arms. Her throat hurt, and she let the tears fall as Fang once again comforted her. He was alive, and he was proving it to her by holding her close. The same dream had repeated itself over and over the whole night, and Max wasn't about to let it catch her again. She stretched, laughing when she accidentally hit her head on the ground. Immediately, the mood lightened and Fang smiled slightly.

"Time to get up I guess." He said quietly, and then crawled out of the cave. Max followed.

Nudge

She was cooking up some wild ham when the Leader stormed in. Without even a knock, Maximus had run in and sped past Iggy, who was squeezing orange juice, to pull Nudge into an unexpected hug. When the fox woman had been standing there for a couple minutes, she felt the young leader lessen her hold and move back.

"Nudge," She sniffled, "I need some advice." Maximus was rubbing her eyes and trying to look dignified, but there was no hiding the redness in her eyes.

"Well, sure Dearie, I'd be happy to help." Nudge exclaimed, tossing the ham steak onto a plate and grabbing a hankie for Max.

As the Leader accepted the simple cloth, she looked pointedly at Iggy. "He has to promise not to tell anyone." The male fox shifter continued squeezing as if he hadn't heard the conversation.

Nudge smiled and washed her hands. "Of course he won't, he's not that type of man. Come, we'll sit on the porch." And with that, she tossed a napkin to her mate and walked out the front door. Sitting on the roughly carved porch swing, Nudge beckoned her Leader to the spot beside her. They then sat for a while until Max had completely dried her tears. The whole time Nudge tried her hardest to distract her by talking about the weather, those naughty school children, and finally she started on the subject of her Mate.

"… and my parents were all like, 'if you hurt our daughter, we'll fry you up for dinner kid!' to him, but he wasn't scared at all. Do you know what he did? He just itched his head and yawned! It made my pa so mad; I thought he was going to hit him! But I knew just how foul the situation was a going so I just a grabbed Iggy's hand and ran! Oh, and that reminds me of that one time when I swiped a cookie from the old lady down the street. I thought I was going to get caught so I just stuffed in my pocket and ran! By the time I got home though' it was all crumbly and the chocolate was melted to my clothes. I cried for a good long time after my mom saw them and spanked my hind so bad I couldn't sit no more. Wait, where was I? Oh yeah! Iggy and I were running! It must have been half an hour later before we stopped, and I was a huffing' and a puffin and THAT was when our eyes met." She sighed. "Sure we had looked at each other like that before, but this time was different. From that moment on we were linked." Nudge stopped when she noticed the strange faraway look on Max's face. "Are you all right dear?"

Max nodded, but didn't take her eyes off of her hands, which were twisted together and clenched tight. " Nudge," She started to say in a hoarse voice, "It happened to me."

The fox shifter knitted her brows, confusion clear on her face. "What do you mean?"

Slowly the young Leader lifted her eyes to meet Nudge's. "I met my mate."

Within a nanosecond, Nudge had jumped up and kneeled in front of her friend's seat. "Oh my gosh! This is great! You found him! Who is he? Is he handsome? Is he another species? Oh, this is sooo romantic! Outer species love! Now we can talk to eachother and trade secrets about our love lives! And…" she slowed to a halt as Max stood abruptly and started to pace.

With a frustrated expression she tried to explain. "He's great, and he's handsome, and yes he is a different species but he's… still a type of bird."

Nudge scowled. "That's not very much of a description."

"He's not easy to describe…"

Then Nudge's face changed into a face of concern. "Is something bothering you about him?"

With a great leap, Max was suddenly down kneeling with Nudge. Her arms clenched the fox girl's shoulders in a tense grip. "Yes!" she whispered harshly. "It's… We can't… I shouldn't love him!"

*Smack*

The sound reverberated around the neighborhood, and both girls were glad that there wasn't anyone else outside at this time. "Don't you ever say that!" Nudge cried angrily. "If he's your mate then you love him! End of story! And a happy story it is too!" She turned around so Max couldn't see her tears. "I'm sorry, but you need to understand that you can love him, no matter who he is. My parents were hell bent on keeping me and Iggy apart, because we were cousins. Ever since I left them and separated myself from the family, I haven't gotten to even visit my little sister, Ella." Nudge paused, an unusual occurrence in a conversation with her. "I heard that she's engaged to someone she doesn't even love. I got free but she didn't." She turned to meet Max's widened eyes. "You don't have anyone to hold you back, Max. You only have supporters. No matter who it is, all of your friends, including us, will believe in you."

Max's eyes watered and a solitary tear broke through, trailing down her cheek. "Thank you Nudge. Oh, thank you!" Nudge flinched as the young leader tossed herself at her and they hugged for a long time.

When they finally broke apart, Nudge laughed nervously and asked Max: "So who is this man that has stolen your heart?"

* * *

** So that's it for now, the big question is 'Should the Seaside villagers side with Max, or should they become an angry mob?' Send your ideas in the reviews and I'll be sure to read them. I'm working on a really long one shot. It's going to be based around Lion King Characters. Oh, and I really want to do a Doctor Who story as well, should I? I love you all, and I'll be reading your stories as well!**

**-1luvDragonQueen**


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven is such a strange number. It's odd, and it looks like a "T" that hasn't been written correctly. I get shivers whenever I think about it. That's why I have decided that the seventh chapter will always have some semblance of the eerie feeling I get just saying the word. Avoiding the number seven is something I try to do, but if I'm doing schoolwork, writing a story, or any number of other things, I have to bear with it and go with the flow. You can imagine what it's like when I need to fill up my car and the only gas station close enough is a 7-11. Not that I don't like 7-11s. In fact, they have some excellent Icee flavors. Anyways, here's a warning: Chapter seven is where the weird stuff starts. Amen**

* * *

** Fang**

After Fang had parted ways with Max, he realized that he should check in on Matik. With a quick shimmer of change, he became the hawk, soaring up through the canopy. He found it strange that the forest was so dense out here. Didn't anyone ever venture out into the jungle for resources? Or to meet with the other clans? Why didn't they go just to satisfy their curiosity? Fang had always been the sort that couldn't stay still when adventure was calling. It had gotten him into trouble lots of times as a kid. Before the sun rose he would sneak out of the house and head for the snowy caves. When he came back, his mother would be crying her eyes out and checking him for cuts and bruises…

Fang switched his thoughts over to something else; anything else. He found distraction in thinking about Max. Remembering her warmth next to him, and the soft bronze colored hair that she kept pulled back in a tight ponytail tied with leather. She had a strong 'you can't beat me' kind of attitude, but Fang knew that it was just a façade to cover her vulnerabilities. They had the rest of their lives to learn about each other.

As he neared the cabin, he slowed his flight and glided in a circle around the perimeter of the yard. The front door was wide open, broken wood scattered around like it had been broken into. Fang changed and tensed at the strange feel in the air. With slow, careful steps he slipped from shadow to shadow until he was standing against the wall. After holding his breath to listen for life, he cautiously peeked around the corner.

Angel

She could sense that something was wrong. Angel didn't know how she knew, but she stood from her drawing in the sand and tested the wind.

It blew from the north, strongly. That was wrong, she knew from her studies at the school that the wind should only blow from the east at this time of year. Brushing her skirt off, she ran to the village center, looking around for anyone else who might be nervous as well. No one was though. As far as Angel could tell, the whole town thought it was a normal day. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt that she needed to at least tell Maximus. She would know what it was. Maximus knew everything as far as Angel was concerned.

Just when she was running out of breath, Angel spotted the Leader walking briskly away from the housing area of the town. "Maximus!" she cried breathlessly.

As if in slow motion, Max turned with a sweeping glance. As her eyes settled on Angel, surprise appeared on her face. "Angel? What are you running for?"

With a last burst of energy, Angel threw herself into her adopted sister's arms. "Something.. Something's wrong!"She gasped. " Check the wind!"

The young Leader didn't hesitate for a second. She lifted her head to the wind and turned until she could feel it blowing straight into her face. In a flash, Maximus whipped around to face Angel. "That's not possible!"

Maximus

She couldn't believe what she was feeling. The wind was blowing from the mountains up north. Such an occurrence didn't happen too often, and it usually only meant one thing. Max turned back to the little shifter. "Angel, thank you for alerting me of this, but now I need you to go back to your house and stay there until I come and get you. Do you understand?" She stared into the younger girl's eyes as she said this with a stern and unwavering look.

With a frightened expression on her face, Angel nodded and ran off, hopefully to obey Max's orders. When Maximus was sure that Angel had gone, she walked over to the nearest guard post. There were only two shifters on duty there, a Tasmanian Giant crab and a Dingo. The Dingo was a newbie, but he had already shown some skill in running a message. Max knew that was exactly what she needed, and she wasted no time in tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Excuse me, Dingo shifter, I need you." She said quickly.

The Dingo turned, his eyes widening as he recognized Maximus. "M mah, ma, Leader!" He stuttered. "Oh, yes of course! Anything! You just say the word Ma'am!" He saluted, standing at attention.

Max looked him up and down, judging whether or not he would be up to the job after all. "State your name, warrior." She commanded.

He stood without flinching and answered calmly and coolly. "My name is Barke. Tom Barke."

She noted his stutter was already gone. "Okay then Tom, stand down. I need you to run a message to all of the warriors you can find." Max said carefully, trying to figure out the best way to word her message. After a short pause she continued. "Tell them this: Test the wind."

Tom tilted his head with confusion. It was now obvious how new he was to the force. Before he could let out a word of his curiosity, Max interrupted him.

"Just hurry!" she snapped impatiently, "The whole village depends on you!"

With that, the young warrior turned, shifted, and ran, leaving a puff of dust in his wake. Max watched, making sure he was gone before she turned and sighed. The other Warrior, a seasoned veteran of more than three territory wars, came out of the watch tower just in time to see his apprentice leave. He glanced at Maximus questioningly, and she explained the situation to him. When she was done, his expression was grave.

"We need weapons and armor to prepare our warriors. May I unlock the armory?" He asked.

She tossed a set of keys, and he just barely managed to catch them. "Do it."

He nodded and left immediately, while Max set off to the Village hall. She needed to alert the villagers to seek cover and safety. They needed to be out of harm's way when all hell was going to break loose. Briefly, she thought of Fang, and Matik. For some reason or other, she was getting an ominous feeling about them. Max shook her head. They would be fine, because Fang wouldn't let anything happen to Matik or himself would he? A flash of her nightmare came to her and she shuddered. Enough! Maximus needed to get down to business. The Village was counting on her. Besides, she could send a troop of warriors over first thing to check on them. With a halfhearted nod, she continued on her way, calculating all the preparations into the short amount of time they had.

Fang

It was quiet, too quiet. Fang wasn't fooled though; he knew that whoever had caused the damage outside was still here. Taking a slow and carefully measured breath, he stepped inside the darkened cabin.

"SHIIING"

Fang's sensitive ears caught the almost incoherent sound of a blade being drawn. In a flash, he threw himself away from the sound. Landing on his right side, he barrel rolled, narrowly missing a sleek blade as it cut into the wooded floor. He kicked out, tripping the unknown attacker, and in the same movement grabbed the assailant's weapon out of his grasp. Continuing the fluid motion, he then rolled once more, ending up on top of a male warrior, probably in his early thirties.

"Who are you?" Fang growled fiercely, applying light pressure to the attacker's Adam's apple with his elbow as a warning. "What did you do with the elderly shifter who was here?"

"That's none of your concern, boy! Get off of me, or I'll gut you alive!" The Mountain warrior sneered. Then Fang caught sight of the mangled, bloody body behind the kitchen table.

With a snicker, Fang removed his elbow and pulled the shifter's face close to his. "You should know, I'm not the best person for you to be insulting. You made an error when you killed Matik; A fatal one." Sadistic anger boiled up from deep within him, changing his very essence. This being was no longer Fang Mark; a new, stronger aura surrounded him. The shifter blinked, and his eyes transformed into a blazing red that seemed to twist and turn around his pupils.

**Two hours later:**

Fang opened his eyes and yawned. Confusion set in straightaway. _What the heck had happened? Why was he here in a,_ He looked around, _in the forest against a mossy, wet log._ He remembered blacking out after seeing…

"Oh my god!" He gasped. Nausea rolled roughly up his throat, and he turned over to throw up on the ground.

When he was completely emptied of his stomach's contents, Fang sat up, shivering. He surveyed his surroundings, and realized that he had to have been out for about seven or eight hours. The sun had gone down and he could hear a wild owl hooting. As he became more fully aware of his surroundings, he realized that he was completely covered in a wet and sticky substance.

Switching his eyesight to raptor vision, Fang surveyed his surroundings. The first things he saw were bodies. They were everywhere, some torn apart, some dangling from trees, and others twisted at odd angles in the undergrowth.

"What the hell?" he said, taking in the scene before him. Using his senses, he searched for danger. His nose flared at the familiar smell of blood. Not just any blood though. It was Mountain shifter blood. Slowly Fang picked up his hands and brought them close to his face.

With a shiver, he realized that the sticky stuff he was covered in was blood. Shock overcame him and he clenched his fists in his hair. His breath hitched as a memory surfaced.

There were screams and shouts all around him as he sat in an ornately decorated room. His mother filled his vision, as she bent to quickly sweep him up and hide him in a laundry basket. With the clothes covering him, Fang couldn't see anything. All he could do was listen as people shouted out orders and sent up the alarm signaling the Leader's assassination. Then there was a lot of jolting as someone, probably his mother, picked him up and ran with him.

All at once the memory stopped and Fang drew in a ragged breath. He had no idea where that memory had come from. It didn't make sense that he was nearby when the previous Leader had been assassinated. He was only about one year old when it had happened so there was no way that he could have played a big part in it.

What did it mean?

* * *

**So that's it for now. I have a good idea of where I want to go with this story. Recently I've looked back at the beginning of my story, and I am embarrassed at what I see. My story writing skills were so bad throughout much of the story that I can only wonder how people were able to get through it without rolling their eyes in disgust. Perhaps they did. I wouldn't know. But thank you to all of my followers who have stuck with me throughout my learning stages. I'm hoping that with practice, I can move forward in my life and get as good as my idols: Garth Stein, James Patterson, Charles Dickens, and Steven Moffat. J**

**-1LuvDragonQueen**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi again, how's it going people? Listen, I know it's been a while, but I'm back on track and ready to RUUUMMBLE! Yes, I'm taking too long to update the chapters and no, I won't stop leaving you all on edge after a chapter. Just so you know, we have made it almost to the climax of our story, and soon we'll have our happily ever after ending. But you never know. Maybe things will take a nosedive, and I'll have to change the story description to 'Tragedy'.**

* * *

Maximus

Gathering an army together on such short notice would normally make any leader go crazy. However, Maximus wasn't an ordinary Leader in the least.

She had gathered all of the officers and elders from the village into the Village conference house. Most of them had already gained a respect for her when she had rocketed through warrior school with record time. Others still needed to be convinced of her abilities, and she wasted no time at all completely awing them. With swift precision, she organized the soldiers in platoons based on who worked well in a team and who fought better without backup. Those who could handle multiple strong opponents at once were places in the first, second and third platoons. They would be nicknamed Alpha, Beta, and Cali. The six platoons that would serve as the second wave would be nicknamed Delta, Eve, Forrest, Glade, Horus, and Ice. The Third wave was mostly a just-in-case collection of platoons with more of a brute force than a collection of talented warriors. Hopefully they wouldn't be needed, but Max wasn't going to leave any spot in the plan unfinished.

She was just finishing explaining her plan when she remembered Fang.

Setting her hands on her hips, she stood from the table. "I've already decided who I want to be my generals." Max gestured to the annoyingly snoring fox shifter in the corner. "Will someone please wake that bastard up?"

A nearby officer delivered a sharp jab to the offender's ribs, sending him keeling over in pain and gasping for air. _What an interesting way to wake someone up._ Max thought as she held in a chuckle at Iggy's pain. She nodded towards the officer as a thank you, while trying to remember his name._ (What was it again? James? Jake?)_

Maximus snapped her gaze back to Iggy and couldn't stop the scowl from returning to her face. They had been rivals and eventually comrades since childhood, but that didn't stop him from irritating her whenever he had the chance.

Righting himself, Iggy calmly met her eyes. "I was never asleep." He lied.

The officers threw glances at each other, a few 'harrumph's and quiet chuckles reverberating in the brightly lit room, while their leader glared balefully at Iggy. Slowly, a heavy silence fell and the amused faces were replaced by nervous glances.

"If I have your full attention now I'd like to finish up so we can defend our people from a raid." Max said, her words cutting through the silence like a knife through soft butter. A pause, and then she continued. "I will be in command of Alpha, Delta, and Eve. I want to have two officer's co-commanding Delta and Eve since I also have to oversee the rest of the fleet." She looked over the group and selected two of the older, more experienced officers. "Okay, next I'm assigning Iggy as the General in charge of Beta, Forest and Glade." A surprised expression flew across Iggy's face for a moment, but then his calm, aloof smile came back and he nodded.

"I know that not all of you trust me fully. It might be because I'm a girl, or because I seem way too young to be Leading our territory. Believe me, I know that this is an incredibly frightening task, and it will take a while for me to be able to get completely used to the gigantic weight on my shoulders, but I won't let this territory be captured as long as you place your support on me." Maximus paused to allow herself time to put together the next thing she wanted to say.

"That's why I would like you to support my decision to appoint my Mate, Fang, as the General in charge of Cali, Horus, and Ice."

And with that, the conference room erupted into chaos.

Angel

Within the last couple hours, the village had gone on hyper-alert mode. No one strayed outside except the occasional soldier, officer, or messenger.

Meanwhile, Angel was watching the sky through the window of Nudge's home. The kind fox shifter had offered to let her stay there since Angel had no one else to go home to, but Angel also knew the other reason behind the invite. Nudge's husband, Iggy Redfur, was a well-known graduate of the Seaside Village Elite Warrior School. He had trained to be a top notch warrior and had risen through the ranks quickly. Only last year, he was promoted to Officer, and then he was chosen to train forces below him. It hadn't lasted long though, and soon after Iggy met Nudge, he retired and settled down to be a food vendor.

Two hours ago, he got called back into service.

According to Nudge, changing the wind was a talent of the Mountain shifters, since they consisted of mostly large raptors and eagles. There was even a legend about a dragon shifter living with them once before. The Mountain shifters usually all rose into the air at once and flapped their wings in the direction of the territory they wished to convey their message to.

"What does it mean that has everyone so worried?" Angel had asked.

"It means they are declaring War on us." Nudge had answered

Angel couldn't think of any possible reason they would want to fight the Seaside shifters. It's not like the Shifters here had done something to them. When she had continued pestering Nudge about the subject, the shifter had given her one glance and then burst into a long stream of words.

The first thing said was that the Mountain Shifters were selfish, greedy mongrels that would massacre whole villages and towns to get what they wanted. They had come not too long ago, just after the old Mountain Shifter Leader had been assassinated and succeeded. The new Leader wanted nothing more than the whole coastal territory, but the Seaside shifters hadn't given in. After a long battle, many of the villages closer to the mountains inland had been massacred, with the occasional survivor. That's how Maximus had been orphaned, and it was also why Angel and Gazzy were parentless.

So here was Angel, thinking her whole life through, and wondering what she was supposed to do with this knowledge. She had already known how her parents were killed, but now she knew WHY they died. Turning slightly, so it would look like she was still watching the outside, Angel peeked over at Nudge. The talkative fox-girl had finally quieted down and was napping on her bed. After a little bit more of waiting, Angel quietly got up and snuck out the door. There was no way she was going to allow Max and Iggy to lay down their lives for her sake. At least… not without her help.

Angel smiled, her eyes glowing with the prospect of revenge.

Maximus

It had taken some time for things to settle down in the conference room. Not a single shifter in that room had easily accepted her choice for the second general. There had been a relentless stream of questions. Max had a mate? Who was he? Why is he going to be a general? Is he trustworthy? What are his qualifications for the position?

Max had dodged most of the questions, wanting to give her lover the chance to explain how very well qualified he was, but she was on the verge of giving them the truth when a messenger burst through the doors.

With a great clamor he raced to Max's feet and bowed slightly. "Leader Maximus! It's horrible!" He wheezed frantically, still bowed over and holding his knees in an effort to gain back his energy. "We've been attacked!"

Max froze, her blood running cold. "Where?" she asked.

"They hit us from the side. We never saw it coming!" he continued. An officer brought him a stool, and he perched gladly atop it, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "They attacked the two outpost towers along the border on the cliffs. We managed to fight them off and they retreated, but…" He looked up at Max with watery eyes. "I'm so sorry Leader. Matik is dead. She was discovered when a warrior went to check on her." The messenger bowed his head again.

A wave of sickness blew over Max. She turned away from the many pairs of eyes that were watching her with pity. Pity! Max didn't need anyone's pity. Clenching her teeth against the nausea, she pinched the bridge of her nose between her forefingers. "Did you find any Mountain shifters in the area?" she growled, turning back to face the whole room.

The messenger shifted in his seat. "We searched the perimeter, but it doesn't seem like there were any living Mountain shifters near that area."

Max dropped her hand. "No _living_ Mountain shifters? Were there bodies?"

"Yes. There was one Mountain Warrior in the doorway of the cabin, and multiple other bodies both shifted and not shifted trailing off into the woods. None of the Seaside Warriors had killed them so we worried about who… or what might have massacred them. In any case, it seemed obvious that whatever had killed them scared the crap out of them. They were fleeing into the woods when they died."

Without a doubt, this was something formidable that had killed the Shifters. Max wondered if they could use it against the enemy. Then she remembered Fang. If he was there at the time, he might be dea… No. of course not, but she had to be sure. "What did you find when you followed the trail of bodies?"

"We didn't go any farther than the border of the woods. Whatever killed them might still be out there, and there is a probability that it isn't friendly since it's not one of our own."

Max nodded. "That was a smart decision."

She dismissed the messenger, and then ended the meeting. While everyone was filing out, Iggy paused and rested a hand on her shoulder.

He waited for the room to empty before speaking. "You really want to go over there yourself don't you?" He asked.

This was what Max hated about her childhood friend. He always seemed to be able to read her mind. "Yes," she answered grumpily. "I want to see the truth with my own eyes, but that's not all." Max stepped away from Iggy's hand. "There's a possibility that my Mate was there. He's been staying at Matik's house while he's been recovering from a wild cougar attack a while ago."

Iggy nodded "Then I'll put together some backup just in case."

Max narrowed her eyes. "You know me too well."

With a smile, Iggy turned and went to grab some troops.

Fang

He was shivering.

Fang wasn't cold; the blood had dried about an hour back, which helped in conserving his energy but left a crust on his clothes and skin. The shivering wasn't because he felt scared either. He had never been the kind of person to succumb to fear so easily. This had to be some kind of side effect to waking up in a pool of blood that was mostly not your own.

In the last hour, Fang had been following the trail of bodies in hopes that they would lead him back home. However, he seemed to be farther out than he originally thought, because he couldn't smell any Seaside Shifter scent anywhere. He had been on this trail for a while, and no matter how many times he shifted and flew above to check for familiar landmarks he saw nothing. Worse yet, fatigue was setting in.

Earlier when he first woke, he found a fresh claw wound on his right thigh. He had wrapped it in a piece of cloth from his shirt, but the pain was leeching his energy as he walked.

"Shit!" Fang cursed when he tripped over his own feet. He couldn't go on much more, with most of his energy gone. He didn't even have the energy to shift, much less, fly.

Sitting down, he thought about Max. She'd probably freak out if she could see him now. Her eyebrows would scrunch together, and a spark of anger would ignite her milk chocolate eyes. Max would start by asking him if he was okay, but as soon as he answered she would yell at him for being so stupid as to get into this mess.

Suddenly she was there. Her face exactly as he had imagined as she moved to touch his neck. Her lips were mere inches away, taunting him with their movements. She looked like she was saying something, but it was muffled by the roaring in his ears. Realizing that he must have collapsed, Fang struggled to sit up, but he was unable to leave Max's unusually strong grasp. With one last effort, he put all his strength into reaching up and touching her face. Her concerned frown broke into a grin only for a moment before he lost consciousness.

* * *

** So that's the eighth chapter. I hope you like it, and please leave reviews. They help me to figure out whether or not I'm going in the right direction with this story. I wouldn't want to disappoint you! Don't worry; I'm already starting on the next chapter so it shouldn't take too long before I release again. I feel really bad for keeping you all waiting for this many months. Ta Ta for now! **

**Or should I say Alons-y! **

**-1Luvdragonqueen**

**P.S. Im thinking of starting a Twitter account so I can tell my followers what projects I'm working on, and so I can set a due date for my releases. Tell me what you think about this idea!**


End file.
